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Upon its completion in 1943, Burbank City Hall became the municipal heart of the city in more ways than one: as its National Register nomination states, "It was possible to simultaneously respond to a fire, book and incarcerate a criminal, treat a broken bone, fix a faulty carburetor, conduct a marriage or a trial, as well as carry on the normal administrative business of the City, all under one roof."

It was designed by architects William Allen and George Lutzi, who created a WPA Moderne-style, reinforced concrete building epitomizing the best of civic architecture in terms of aesthetics as well as function. City Hall's main entry is dominated by a four-story central tower with an inset decorative concrete grille and a stern granite eagle guarding the flagpole above.

The tower is flanked by identical, symmetrical two-story wings, each of which is connected perpendicularly to a one-story wing, creating a central courtyard area with an ornate concrete fountain (its black and turquoise tile was added in 1980). City Hall's exterior decorations include bas-reliefs depicting the accomplishments of humanity, while